1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for automatically supplying and selectively reproducing a tape cassette.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present applicant has previously proposed the following apparatus for automatically supplying and selectively reproducing a tape cassette. An outline of this prior art apparatus will hereinafter be described briefly. In this prior art apparatus, there is provided a rack or bin apparatus which includes a plurality of tape cassette racks and the plurality of tape cassette racks respectively accommodate therein a plurality of tape cassettes in which a video signal is recorded. On the back surface of each of the tape cassette, there is attached a bar code which indicates an identifying code relating to a recorded content of a tape in the tape cassette. The tape cassettes accommodated in the bin apparatus are transported by an elevator and loaded onto a plurality of VTRs (video tape recorders), while the tape cassettes which are taken out from the VTRs are transported by the elevator and then returned to the racks of the bin apparatus. The elevator is provided with reading or detecting means for reading the bar code of the tape cassette accommodated in the bin apparatus. Then, the reproduced signals from the plurality of VTRs are selectively transmitted by a selective transmitting means.
Further, this apparatus is provided with a microcomputer which is connected to the above-described bin apparatus, the plurality of VTRs, the elevator, the selective transmitting means and so on. Further, the identifying data read out from the bar codes of the tape cassettes accommodated in the bin apparatus are stored in a memory means of the microcomputer. The microcomputer controls the plurality of VTRs, the elevator, the selective transmitting means and so on so that the recorded contents of the tapes of the tape cassettes accommodated in the bin apparatus are reproduced and transmitted in a predetermined order on the basis of the transmission list.